New Trailer: Let Me Die Quietly

In Let Me Die Quietly, Mario is a broken-down alcoholic haunted by visions of murder victims in their final, dying moments. When he meets Gabrielle - a beautiful woman with the same dark gift - they both set out to save the final victim of their shared visions.

Below is the new trailer. Look for Let Me Die Quietly on DVD January 4.

New DVD Release: The Stranger in Us

The first of our "Holi-gay" releases - Scott Boswell's The Stranger in Us - comes out on DVD today!

Happy Holi-gays!: Our Big Gay Holiday Wishlist

Breaking Glass Pictures is celebrating the holi-gays with four December DVD releases from its QC Cinema label, whose queer-themed titles cater to LGBT audiences. The December titles include: The Stranger in Us (in stores Dec. 7), Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement, Taxi zum Klo: 30th Anniversary Edition, and Seeing Heaven (all three in stores Dec. 14).

Whether your buying for someone naughty or nice, all of the below titles get our QC seal of approval for your holiday gift-giving list.

Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement

Critically-acclaimed documentary Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement retells the story of two New York women whose engagement lasted more than 40 years before they seized the opportunity to marry in 2007. The film was recently catapulted into the national spotlight when Edith Windsor (“Edie”), with the help of the ACLU, sued the government for marriage rights in the wake of Thea Spyer’s death. Directed by Susan Muska and Greta Olafsdottir (The Brandon Teena Story), the film garnered more than 20 audience and jury awards during its film festival run.

DVD Extras:

• Interview with Judge Harvey Brownstone (who presided over Edie and Thea’s wedding)
• Edie with directors Susan Muska and Greta Olafsdottir on the festival circuit
• Link to “In the Life” Edie & Thea segment
• “Coping with Disability” featurette
• Photo gallery

Pre-order here.

The Stranger in Us

The Stranger in Us, which premiered to a sold-out crowd at this year’s Frameline LGBT film festival in San Francisco, is a poetic, verité-style drama about a small-town gay man who must cope with a break-up while settling into a new life in San Francisco.

DVD Extras:

• Interviews with director Scott Boswell and the cast
• Alternate ending
• True Margrit music video
• Deleted and extended scenes
• Trailer

Pre-order here.

Taxi zum Klo

Taxi zum Klo – a classic of the queer genre – returns 30 years after its original – and highly controversial - theatrical release with this digitally remastered collector’s edition. The film, which the Village Voice called “the first masterpiece about the mainstream of male gay life” follows a gay school teacher who lives a double life of lesson plans and nightly hookups in public restrooms.

DVD Extras:

• Interview with director Frank Ripploh for “Taxi nach Kairo”
• Photos and video of the “Max-Ophüls-Preis” film prize celebration
• Frank Ripploh’s illustrated “idea album” with pre-production photos
• International press clippings
• Written interviews with Frank Ripploh
• Original press kit
• Original French trailers
• Production stills

Pre-order here.

Seeing Heaven

Seeing Heaven combines suspense and gay eroticism with its tale of a hustler whose sexual encounters trigger visions of a masked killer. Winner of Best Cinematography at the Yellow Fever International Film Festival, the film also played at this years Philadelphia QFest and was described as “a moody, at times creepy, very sexy and intensely atmospheric thriller.”

DVD Extras:

• Deleted scenes
• Behind-the-scenes video diary
• Cast and crew interviews

Pre-order here.

Other recent QC Cinema releases:

The Big Gay Musical

The title says it all for this smart and sexy hit about the stars of a fictional Off-Broadway musical called Adam & Steve: Just the Way God Made 'Em. "Seldom has blasphemy been so entertaining," says Variety.

Buy it here.

Ticked-Off Trannies with Knives

Again, the title says it all. See the notorious tale of cold-blooded, high-heeled vengeance that GLAAD wanted pulled from theaters. "The whole thing stirred up rich feelings the way so few movies do - it's a real trannie trip and a half!" — Michael Musto, Village Voice

Buy it here.

Leslie Jordan: My Trip Down the Pink Carpet

Emmy-winner Leslie Jordan (of Will & Grace fame) recounts his life story and gives the dish on his encounters with Hollywood stars in this rollicking, laugh-out-loud extravaganza recorded live in Atlanta. Based on the bestselling book of the same name.

Buy it here.

The Lost Coast

A lush, beautifully-filmed tale of unrequited love between two high school friends who reunite in the iconic Castro neighborhood of San Francisco. DC Metro Weekly called it "a masterpiece for all time."

Buy it here.

The Adonis Factor

Eye candy meets eye-opening insight in this documentary about pop culture's growing obsession with male body image. Examiner.com calls this follow-up to The Butch Factor "a compelling and interesting look at men's self-body image."

Buy it here.

The Lottery is teaming up with New York Needs You for a donation challenge!

NEW LIKE = $1 DONATION!

What Can You Do? Click the "LIKE" button at the top of The Lottery facebook page. Already "LIKE" The Lottery? Please tell all of your friends.

But hurry! Our donation tally began this week and only lasts until November 22!

Who Receives the Donation?

For each new LIKE on our page, New York Needs You will receive one more dollar!

NYNY is the only non-profit organization in NYC that targets first-generation college students.

Donor funds go to business and leadership training for this traditionally undersupported group.

Why First-Generation College Students?:

First-generation college students earn 10% less after graduation than their peers. First-generation college students drop out at 5 times the rate of their peer group. "We chose first-generation college students because that best reflects the American dream. These are kids who are paving the way for their family." - Robert Reffkin, Founder and President

New York Needs You aims for 90% of their fellows to graduate from college and work in their desired field, and for 100% to go on to projects that positively impact their neighborhoods.

Almost all of New York Needs You Fellows are classified as low-income - help break the cycle of poverty for these individuals.

LINKS: The Lottery

Facebook: http://facebook.com/thelottery

http://thelotteryfilm.com/

http://www.newyorkneedsyou.org/

Film Synopsis

In a country where 58 percent of African American 4th graders are functionally illiterate, The Lottery uncovers the failures of the traditional public school system and reveals that hundreds of thousands of parents attempt to flee the system every year. The Lottery follows four of these families from Harlem and the Bronx who have entered their children in a charter school lottery. Out of thousands of hopefuls, only a small minority will win the chance of a better future.Directed by Madeleine Sackler and shot by award-winning cinematographer Wolfgang Held (Brüno, Metallica: Some Kind of Monster, Children Underground), The Lottery uncovers a ferocious debate surrounding the education reform movement. Interviews with politicians and educators explain not only the crisis in public education, but also why it is fixable. A call to action to avert a catastrophe in the education of American children, The Lottery makes the case that any child can succeed.

Holliday Releases From Breaking Glass Pictures!

The holliday season is upon us, but don't worry because Breaking Glass Pictures is offering up some great titles that make for the perfect gift!

11/09

"Ticked-Off Trannies with Knives" Don't miss this homage to revenge films of the 70's. You will be transfixed!

"Rock and Rule" Hear some tunes from Cheap Trick, Lou Reed and Iggy Pop just to name a few in this animated classic.

11/23

"Vomit Gore Trilogy" This box set features three great horror films, and a bonus disc of special features that you won't soon forget!

"American Fetish" When the son of a convicted convicted killer inherits a "blue movie" that may clear his dad's name and solve a 50 year old double murder, he finds himself drawn into a forbidden world of sexual obsession in this erotic drama.

11/30

"Edie and Thea : A Very Long Engagement" Travel through the years with Edie and Thea as they prove love can stand the test of time.

"Anotherworld" Take a look at the gay culture in Italy in this riveting film.

"Henry Jaglom Box Set" Enjoy three of Henry Jaglom's films in this romantic three film set!


12/07

"Taxi Zum Klo" Hailed as one of the first and best films about mainstream gay life, this 30th anniversary edition is a must have.

"The Stranger in Us" In this poetic debut feature, director Scott Boswell explores the pleasures and perils of losing and regaining oneself through the journey of a young, gay man in the wake of a traumatic breakup

"Seeing Heaven" In the vein of David Lynch, Seeing Heaven is an erotic thriller that rivets viewers with its chilling imagery and its expressionistic tale of sexual subversion.

Breaking Glass Pictures is your one stop shop for the perfect holliday gift!

Edie Windsor – of the Doc ‘Edie & Thea’ – Files Suit Challenging the Defense of Marriage Act

Philadelphia, PA – Edith Windsor, who is featured in Breaking Glass Pictures’ upcoming documentary “Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement,” has filed a lawsuit that challenges the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act. Windsor is seeking the return of the $350,000 she paid in estate taxes after the government failed to recognize her marriage to Thea Spyer, who passed away in 2009. The documentary tells the story of the couple’s 44-year-long engagement and their 2007 marriage in Toronto. The lawsuit was filed with the assistance of the American Civil Liberties Union, the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP and the New York Civil Liberties Union.

In “Edie & Thea,” directors Susan Muska and Greta Olafsdottir recount the lives of Windsor and Spyer, focusing on the time the two women met in New York City in the 1960s till their wedding over four decades later. The film has won more than 20 jury and audience awards at international film festivals this past year and will arrive on DVD Nov. 30.

For more information on “Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement,” including screeners, final DVDs, and interviews with Edie or the directors, please contact: philip@bgpics.com.

www.BreakingGlassPictures.com/edieandthea.htm

The Stranger in Us available December 7th!

Inside all of us there is longing, regret, love, and a stranger that we hope to one day meet.

The Stranger in Us, the debut feature film from Scott Boswell, is a film that examines the trying journey of discovering oneself.

The story unfolds when a small-town gay man named Anthony follows his new boyfriend Stephen to San Francisco. Anthony's life turns into a nightmare when their unstable relationship falls apart. Alone and in an unfamiliar city, Anthony prowls the darkest streets of San Francisco where he finds an eclectic group of hook-ups and strangers, but ultimately not what he's looking for. He then meets Gavin, a street hustler who quenches his desire for a human connection, but his inner struggles rage on.

The Stranger in Us is a heartfelt and tender story of a young man's journey to discover himself that will grip its viewers with strong acting and sharp direction.

Do not miss the film that Michael Fox of SF Weekly called "fresh, moody and occasionally poetic".

The Stranger in Us will be available on DVD December 7.

Spotlight on: Brain Dead Director Kevin Tenney!

With the release of his newest film Brain Dead, Tenney further cements himself as a master filmmaker. For those of you unfamiliar with the cult director, here’s a brief history of how he rose to legendary status with horror aficionados:

After a foreshadowing adventure behind the camera in the sixth grade, Tenney officially began his career at the University of Southern California where he was the first, and still only, student to direct both a senior and graduate film. Both projects earned him recognition; with an Emmy Award for the Best Student Production of The Year for his senior project and an agent at ICM as well as a three picture deal for his graduate work.

He impressed audiences and critics alike with his debut film Witchboard, which became a high grossing cult classic in theaters and went on to sell over 100,000 cassette copies. It was a huge success when it premiered on HBO, beating out other higher budget films and original programs. Tenney followed up on his success with a slew of well received films, such as Night of the Demons, Witchboard 2, The Second Arrival, The Cellar, Night of the Demons II, and most recently, Brain Dead. His films are known for their strong acting, stylish cinematography and unusually well-drawn characters.

Kevin Tenney does not consider himself just a horror director, although his previous works are fine proof that he has a niche in the field. His current film Brain Dead has won numerous film festival awards and has been called “a stylish centerfold of the 80’s awesomeness genre” by Cinesploitation. Tenney has been described as having “concocted his own special blend of blackened brain matter, parasitic perversity, and comic debris.”

Brain Dead, a story about flesh eating zombies tormenting an unlikely group of survivors (including escaped convicts, a televangelist, and lost hikers) is available now on DVD through Breaking Glass Pictures.

"Edie & Thea" is available November 9th!

In the closeted 1960's two women met and fell in love. Their romance withstood the test of time and in 2007 they traveled to Canada to finally marry. This is the remarkable true story of Edie and Thea.

The critically acclaimed and award winning documentary "Edie and Thea: A Very Long Engagement" is available on DVD November 30.

The beautiful film, directed by Susan Muska and Gréta Olafsdóttir, chronicles the love affair of the charming Edie and Thea from the 60's until their trip to Canada. The story is told through a compilation photographs, videos and interviews that provide a unique glimpse into their lives.

"Edie & Thea is an amazingly beautiful film that speaks of love, commitment, equality, survival and even death," said Rosie O'Donnell.

As you watch the romance unfold on screen, you will fall in love with Edie and Thea.

Spotlight on True Margrit: The Source of the dreamy soundtrack for "The Stranger in Us"

San Francisco, CA -- "The Stranger in Us" by director Scott Boswell will be released on DVD by Breaking Glass Pictures on December 7, 2010. The independent drama played to a sold-out premiere at this year’s Frameline 34 (San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival). It also received Best Men’s Film at Colorado Springs’ Pike’s Peak Lavender Film Festival, and has screened at several LGBT festivals in Seattle, Chicago, Albuquerque, among others.

Margrit Eichler, of the San Francisco-based piano-pop trio, True Margrit, composed and performed a subtly haunting score that merges seamlessly with the emotionally charged performances of Raphael Barker (“Shortbus”), Scott Cox, and Adam Perez. The film also features two True Margrit songs: “Opposite Man” and “Opposite Opposite Man” from the trio’s 2010 release, “The Juggler’s Progress”

Included in the DVD release will be the video for “Opposite Opposite Man” performed by True Margrit as well as special features, a behind-the-scenes featurette an alternative ending, deleted scenes, and commentary with director Scott Boswell and members of the cast.

A mind is a terrible thing to taste...

Cult director Kevin Tenney is back this Halloween with his viciously funny new film “Brain Dead”.

Tenney, who demanded a following of horror film fanatics with films like “Witchboard” and “Night of the Demons”, has made a film in “Brain Dead” with not only bloody goodness, but also with razor-sharp dialogue.

In “Brain Dead” a group of lost travelers are held up in a small mountain cabin as a brain hungry zombie looms in the shadows. When the travelers come toe to decrepit toe with the zombie their fates vary, but the results are both shocking and tremendously gory.

The most enticing aspect of “Brain Dead” is its incredible use of CGI special effects that are often over-the-top, but very satisfying. Tenney has changed the zombie film culture with the use of these effects, and with expertly staged zombie attack scenes.

So, whether you are a die hard fan of Kevin Tenney films, or just a casual moviegoer you don’t want to miss out on the most entertaining, and yes bloody, film of the Halloween season. “Brain Dead” comes out on October 26th.

Breaking News from Breaking Glass!

We have a huge selection of entertaining and provocative films coming out in the next few months!

October 26th

Brain Dead - A mind is a terrible thing to taste in this CGI special effects infused thriller!

Rock & Rule - Hear tunes from Cheap Trick, Iggy Pop and others in the animated rock and roll musical!

The Adonis Factor - See how far some men will go to attain flawless skin and bulging muscles in this thought provoking documentary.

November 2nd

Unfaithful - Human desire is in question in this harrowing erotic drama.

November 9th

Ticked-Off Trannies with Knives In theaters now!! - Watch Bubbles and the rest of her sisterhood of transgender vixens get bloody revenge in this homage to 70's revenge films.

November 30th

Henry Jaglom Love and Romance Box Set - This box set comes complete with three of Henry Jaglom's most romantic films including Always...But Not Forever,Deja Vu, and Venice/Venice.

Edie and Thea: A Very Long Engagement - Follow the journey of lifelong lovers Edie and Thea who, in their 70's, travel to Canada to finally tie the knot.

Anotherworld - Travel to another world in this look at the current gay culture in Italy.

Don't miss any of our upcoming releases!

Introducing the cast of "Ticked-Off Trannies with Knives"!

Take a look at these insightful and often hilarious interviews with the cast of "Ticked-Off Trannies". The cast talk about their characters and their experiences on set.

"Ticked-Off Trannies with Knives" will be in New York theaters and at the Telluride Film Festival on October 15 and in LA theaters on October 22! Don't miss your chance to see one of the most entertaining and controversial films of the year!

Ticked-Off Trannies Sold Out Premiere in Dallas!

The theatrical premiere of "Ticked-Off Trannies with Knives" played in front of a sell-out crowd at the Inwood Theater in Dallas. After the screening, the crowd hung around for a Q and A session with the cast and crew. Check out the video below!

Ticked-Off Trannies with Knives from Todd Jenkins on Vimeo.

A Golden Ticket to a Better Future

Director Madeline Sackler’s debut feature documentary, “The Lottery”, is sure to generate strong opinions and emotions in its viewers. “The Lottery” questions the outdated public education system in America, particularly in the Harlem and Bronx sections of New York City.

During a time when 58% percent of African American 4th graders are illiterate, “The Lottery” follows four students and their parents as they await the results of the nerve-racking lottery that will determine whether or not they're admitted to the Harlem Success Academy, a charter school offering far superior opportunities than a traditional public school. Only a few hundred spots are available at the Academy for the several thousand children in the drawing.

Shot by acclaimed cinematography Wolfgang Held, not only does “The Lottery” look visually stunning, but it succeeds in telling an important story, and in inciting the viewer to take a stance. It is both rare and refreshing to see a film that accomplishes this, all the while keeping the audience hooked on the suspense of the approaching lottery.

Focusing equally on the personal and political aspects of our education system, Sackler creates a harrowing documentary. It’s a must see film that will leave its viewers pondering the future of our education system, and our children.

“The Lottery” will be available on DVD on October 5th.

An Even More Ticked-Off Trailer

The latest trailer for TOTWK - a masterpiece in its own right. You will be transfixed.

New on DVD: Trips Down Memory Lane

Today’s two DVD releases - “Darkness” and “Leslie Jordan: My Trip Down the Pink Carpet” present the same theme: facing the past. In terms of style, however, both films are worlds apart.

Darkness is a sleek horror film from Juraj Herz (director of the cult film "The Cremator"). It tells the tale of a musician’s return to the country home of his childhood – where the ghosts of the past literally come back to haunt him. Rogue Cinema calls it a “methodical, brooding ghost story … in the vein of Del Toro’s ‘The Devil’s Backbone.’”

In his “Trip Down the Pink Carpet,” Emmy winner Leslie Jordan also pulls a few skeletons out of the closet – though in a much more humorous fashion. Filmed during Jordan’s live comedy show in Atlanta (and based on his book of the same name), the frenetic one-man show allows the singular comedian - made famous for his turn as Beverley Leslie on "Will and Grace" - to recount his journey as a gay, southern man with aspirations of entering Hollywood show business.

Jordan has since parlayed the comedy routine into an Off Broadway show, which GaySocialite.com has described as “Not just a laugh-so-hard-you-cry look at the world through ultra-gay eyes … it’s also an often moving look at the very best and worst of what gay culture has to offer."

In "Brain Dead," Gore Means More

There are many challenges that come with making a low budget feature film, but some of the most daunting ones come in the special effects department. Cheap slasher films can usually get away with using just a little corn syrup for blood, and talky art films put the attention on the acting and dialogue, but a film like “Brain Dead” presents an unusual case. Full of CGI, gross-out gore (we’re talking exploding heads – not just splashes of blood), and monster make-up effects, “Brain Dead” definitely doesn’t take the “less is more” approach to indie filmmaking.

That’s one of the reasons we’re so impressed with this horror/comedy (one that parodies classic zombie films as much as it celebrates and updates them) from director Kevin Tenney. It tells the ambitious tale of an alien invasion that leads to a zombie plague on Earth, and the resulting special effects are often ingenious and intentionally over-the-top – the kind of gore that will make the audience scream and subsequently break out into laughter.

The trailer below gives a peek at some of the goo, guts and gore that you’ll find everywhere in “Brain Dead.” Be forewarned: it will ruin your appetite — unless you're a brain-hungry zombie.

In Search of Male Perfection

We've just acquired the distribution rights to Christopher Hines’ new documentary “The Adonis Factor,” a follow up to his popular “The Butch Factor,” which aired on Logo. QC Cinema, our queer film label, will be releasing the doc on DVD on October 26.

Chiseled bodies, flawless skin, and sculpted jaw lines. In some gay social circles, these are like holy grails. Hines exposes how some men will go to dangerous extremes for the sake of “the Adonis factor” – the kind of god-like beauty only seen in ancient Greek sculptures. Through countless hours at the gym, medical procedures, and even self-starvation, many men are dedicating – and risking – their lives to attain one thing: physical perfection.

Hines’s search for the cause of this superficial obsession takes viewers on a journey through circuit parties, the set of a gay porn film, and avant-garde fashion photo shoots, all of which promote idealized body images. It seems that as gay men come out of the closet, they face increased pressure to stay manicured. Every “type” — whether bear, twink, or somewhere in between — within the gay community has its own code of beauty, and those who ignore it could risk social isolation.

Yet the rising standards for male beauty are not just limited to gay men.

“It's also a reflection of straight culture, where men are being objectified as never before,” says Hines. “We are a society held together by sexual desire, so obviously looks can be key to a man's self-esteem and his place in that culture.”

Breaking Glass Pictures President Richard Ross also sees this objectification of men as a wide-reaching issue, and notes the crossover potential of the film.

“The gay community is spotlighted,” says Ross. “But everyone will be transfixed by the obsession to be beautiful or ‘be with’ beautiful.”

“The Adonis Factor” premiered to a sold out crowd in June at San Francisco’s Frameline Film Festival and will continue its worldwide film festival tour with screenings at the Oslo Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, Atlanta’s Out on Film, and more before its DVD release.

Take a peek at the trailer below, and try not to feel bad about your love handles:

They're gonna get ya....

Some kick-ass poster art for "Ticked-Off Trannies with Knives," in theaters this October. Let us know what you think!

Like Christmas in July...

Every once in a while the stars align and we end up with a day that's chock full of DVD releases. Well, today is one of those fateful days. We've got three films hitting the shelves as we speak, and they offer our fans a little sex, a little romance, and a little ... puke.

Without further ado, here are the goods:

"Sex and the USA"

"Spinnin'"

"Slow Torture Puke Chamber"

The New Face of Horror

The Horror genre seems never to be in short supply of films. Our Vicious Circle Films label, however, strives to highlight those horror films that reinvent the usual slasher or ghost story aesthetic. Chad Ferrin's "Someone's Knocking at the Door" is one such film.

Though it follows a standard slasher premise, the villains are particularly ghastly in this case: they're a man and woman who rape their victims - a group of college students experimenting with drugs - to death. That's to say, violent intercourse is the cause of death (there's a reason SKATD has been deemed the most depraved film of the 21st century). Aside from the unusual death scenes, SKATD is also resplendent with quirky filming techniques and surreal sound effects. Plus the soundtrack, which is dominated by mellow indie rock songs, clashes with the murder and chase sequences, somehow rendering them even more unsettling.

SKATD's stylistics are carried over to the film's posters, which showcase some unusual, yet intriguing design choices. Take the poster above, whose bright colors betray the dark, grisly nature of the film. Don't be fooled.

Spotlight on: Todd Verow

Image source: bangorfilms.com

He’s earned a name for himself as digital cinema’s bad boy and as a pioneering director of queer cinema. Whether you love his films or hate them (and whichever side you stand on, you’re certainly not alone), you can’t deny his enthusiasm for filmmaking. Since his first feature "Frisk," released in 1995, Todd Verow has churned out 20 films at breakneck speed.

His storylines range from sweet, autobiographical coming-of-age tales like "Vacationland" to the dark and disturbing portraits in his “Addiction Trilogy.” Verow’s been hailed as a new kind of director in publications like Variety, Wired, and Time, thanks to his ever evolving filmmaking techniques, which are in themselves commentaries on digital technology. The experimental "Hooks To The Left," for instance, was filmed using a Nokia cell phone, while his latest film festival entry "Deleted Scenes" constructs a romance with just that – loosely connected “deleted scenes” taken from the theoretical narrative of a relationship.

Our QC Cinema label is excited to be working with Todd on his next release – "The Final Girl"(coming to DVD August 31). The film uses his usual digital vérité handheld camera aesthetic, but throws a few new elements into his typical storytelling approach. For one, it’s his first lesbian narrative (the film is about a missing woman named Leena and the four other women who can’t seem to get her out of their minds). Secondly, it’s a French language film shot in Paris (For the record, Verow is American– born in Bangor, Maine). It’s a captivating film, and one that doesn’t attempt to offer audiences all the answers.

We expect "The Final Girl" to be just as divisive as Verow’s earlier work – it begins, after all, with one of the rawest and steamiest sex scenes of recent memory – but those with their eyes on the frontlines of digital cinema are encouraged to check it out. For a taste of Verow’s style, see the trailer for "The Final Girl" below.

Girls that bite

Left to Right: Alyona Kazarova, Christien Le Roux, Rachel Waters, Ellie Jeffreys, Ngozi Ibeanu

Check out the cast of vixens from Catherine Taylor's vampire film Temptation (out now on DVD!). They're like the Spice Girls, except with fangs.

Queer cinema gets a breath of fresh air thanks to 'Spinnin''

Those of you familiar with queer cinema may also be familiar with some of the typical plot elements of the genre: coming of age, homophobia, strained parent-child relationships, AIDS. When handled in clichéd manners, these topics can get a little… depressing, if not tiresome.

Enter Spinnin’, a film whose plot includes all the above-mentioned topics, yet presents them in a manner that somehow feels fresh. From first-time director Eusebio Pastrana, the film centers on a gay couple looking for a surrogate mother to provide them with a child. Set in sun-drenched Madrid, the film’s tone is unabashedly exuberant – which suits the film's underlying message of embracing life and accepting others. The characters accept a priori that life has challenges, and as they repeat throughout the film: “Love has edges … wounds keep you alive.”

Spinnin’ was warmly received at international film festivals – and even won the Best Feature Film award at the Barcelona Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival, yet the film nearly fell through the cracks shortly thereafter. Luckily, we here at Breaking Glass Pictures are all for second chances: we’re bringing Spinnin’ to DVD July 27.

Is it hot in here, or is it just our films?

A couple weeks ago we announced the “Summer of Sex” in celebration of our steamiest two summer DVD releases: “Sex Stories” (just released this week!) and “Sex and the USA” (out July 27). Both films complement each other, since “Sex Stories” is more playful romp while “Sex and the USA” is more cautionary tale. They also serve as perfect bookends to the hottest time of year.

In this post, we’ll focus on “Sex Stories,” which plays like a French version of “Sex and the City” (only the sex scenes are far more explicit). The plot follows two groups of friends – one all male, the other all female – who congregate at two separate dinner parties. Needless to say, the conversations quickly turn salacious. Each dinner guest has a steamy story to tell, and each sexual escapade is depicted in a series of humorous – yet unflinchingly realistic – vignettes.

“Sex Stories” raises the question: how far can a sex scene go without pushing a film into the category of “adult” or, more bluntly, “porn?” Though the scenes of love-making are less veiled than the love scenes of usual mainstream cinema, the filmmakers’ intention is to entertain (and even educate) rather than arouse.

You may not be surprised to find that the film’s director – the mononymous Ovidie – is a former adult film actress and director. However, in recent years the intello du X (intellectual of the X), as she is often called in her home country, is more politician than pornographer. She’s a frequent political commentator and an advocate of sex workers’ rights – including equal treatment for women in the industry and increased awareness of health issues. But does Ovidie’s latest project succeed in redefining the boundaries of mainstream cinema? You be the judge.

The trailer for “Sex Stories” below should whet your appetite (Warning: NSFW). Watch it and let us know what you think. Don’t be surprised if you’re craving a cigarette by the time the credits roll.

Introducing The Breaking Glass Pictures Blog!

Welcome to the new BG Blog, a place where you can find all the insiders’ news on Breaking Glass Pictures' ever-expanding library of groundbreaking indie films. In case you haven’t noticed, we’ve got some huge summer releases up our sleeves. As we prepare for the flood of excitement, we’d hate for any of our films to get lost in the fray. This is where the blog comes in. We’ll be bringing you – our loyal fan – info on all our new films, plus interviews and profiles of the people who made them.

Now is definitely an exciting time for Breaking Glass Pictures. We’re prepping the August 3^rd release of “The Living Wake,” a critics’ favorite that stars Jesse Eisenberg and Mike O’Connell. If you haven’t heard of Jesse (he first caught the attention of indie fans in “The Squid and the Whale), you will very soon. This guy’s got talent, and he’s about to blow up thanks to his starring role alongside Justin Timberlake in David Fincher’s upcoming film “The Social Network.” Fans of Monty Python’s absurdist humor or Wes Anderson’s delicate styling will fall in love with “The Living Wake.” See it, and you’ll understand why Jesse was nominated for the 2010 BAFTA Rising Star.

Mike O'Connell (left) and Jesse Eisenberg star in "The Living Wake"

We’ve also got a few envelope-pushers this summer, namely “Sex Stories” and “Sex and the USA.” They may have you rethinking the sexual boundaries of mainstream cinema (more on them in an upcoming post).

Fans of our LGBT label QC Cinema will also be getting a slew of summer releases – one lesbian film, several gay, and one bisexual (Transgender films to come in the future! We plan to earn every letter in “LGBT”).

We can’t wait to tell you about our films, so stay tuned, and be sure to leave comments. Our titles tend to elicit strong opinions, and we want to hear yours. Trust us, we’re listening.